Industrial relations in Europe 2000

European Commission Directorate-General For Employment Social Affairs And Inclusion

Description

Employment policy
Social policy

Informations

• Publié par: EUROPEAN-COMMISSION-DIRECTORATE-GENERAL-FOR-EMPLOYMENT_SOCIAL-AFFAIRS-AND-INCLUS
• Nombre de lectures: 7
• EAN13: 928288970
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 21 Mo

Extrait

Industrial relations in Europe
2000
Employment U social affairs
Industrial relations and industrial change
European Commission
Directorate-General for Employment and Social Affairs
Directorate D
Manuscript completed in March 2000 The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of the European Commission,
Directorate-General for Employment and Social Affairs.
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Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication.
Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2000
ISBN 92-828-8970-X
© European Communities, 2000
Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.
Printed in Belgium
PRINTED ON WHITE CHLORINE-FREE PAPER Foreword
Social policy plays an essential role in our efforts to build a more caring Europe,
more united and more successful in economic terms. It gives meaning to our
actions. It enables us to mobilise strengths and combine forces in working
towards shared aims.
This first Commission Report on Industrial Relations shows that European
social policy has far-reaching effects; it is steadily becoming a more integral
part of the decision-making and strategies of numerous players.
That goes without saying in fields where the European Union has clearly
defined and affirmed its principles: respect for fundamental social rights in a
frontier-free Europe; workers' rights to information and consultation on
company operations; social dialogue as a mainstay of good governance and a
means of involving citizens in the European venture.
However, far beyond such areas, it is interesting and encouraging to note that
the European dimension is on the table in national negotiations on wages or
the adaptation of working time, and that it was raised in the discussions
culminating in the conclusion of the national employment pacts.
For that reason, it was important to have a tool for information and analysis
at our disposal, available to a wide public, increasing our understanding of this
common heritage and throwing light on the initiatives taken by those who
play a part in shaping day by day the image of social Europe.
Anna Diamantopoulou
Industrial Relations in Europe Summary
EDITORIAL 2
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS AT EUROPEAN LEVEL 8
MAIN DEVELOPMENTS IN LABOUR LAW 24
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS AT NATIONAL LEVEL 39
WAGES 46
WORKING TIME 6
THE SOCIAL PACTS IN EUROPE 80
ANNEX 8
Industrial Relations in Europe 1 Editorial
matters. At national level, new tripartite τ. his report, the Commission's first on the subject
approaches were taken in 11 Member States
of industrial relations in Europe, fulfils a require­
during the 1990s, leading to the adoption of ment for greater transparency in an area which
a series of social pacts for employment. At affects the everyday life of Europe's citizens. The
European level, the social partners have been
information it contains is intended for a wide
concerned mainly with getting the European
audience, with an eye to boosting industrial rela­
employment strategy off the ground, and tions at all levels.
their contribution to this process is the cur­
rent focus of attention.
Key developments occurring over the last few years
are also noted in the report. The firmly rooted
Wage developments have been very modera­national element of industrial relations has assu­
te in the European Union over the past two med a wider dimension as a result of growing
decades, with increases in real employee Europe-wide cooperation in the economic, mone­
compensation tending to remain below pro­tary and employment spheres, giving rise to inno­
ductivity growth. As a result, real unit labour vative, flexible forms of interaction. These changes
costs fell by about 6% between 1991 and are happening quickly but are not yet completed.
1998, thereby paving the way for a readjust­
ment of economic policy and stabilisation of
Depending on the Member State or sector concer­
inflation at a very low level. From an avera­ned, industrial relations are driven mainly by indi­
ge rate of around 10% between 1970 and vidual employment contracts, company or branch
1985, inflation has fallen to less than 2%. agreements and national rules laid down on a sta­
The introduction of macro-economic dia­tutory or collectively agreed basis. While a quarter
logue and increasing awareness of the of the Member States' wealth on average is derived
European dimension among national nego­from exports to the rest of the Union, meaning that
tiators is impacting markedly upon wage
one worker in four is producing for the "internal"
negotiations. market, the underlying social conditions continue
to be determined locally. The developments high­
lighted in this report show that the players invol­ Enlargement will bring into the European
Union a number of countries with wage ved must increasingly take the European dimen­
levels in the region of 300 euro per month, sion into account.
as opposed to more than 2 000 euro in many
of the current EU Member States. However,
these wage levels are roughly in line with Highlights
productivity. Far from being a competitive
The major influences on industrial rela­ threat to the 15 Member States, Central and
Eastern Europe represents a huge and gro­tions in the European Union over the last
wing market that absorbs more imports from few years have been as follows:
the current EU than it exports to it. The EU's
trade surplus amounted to some 27 billion - Economic and monetary union has helped
euro in 1998. to create a more cooperative industrial rela­
tions climate based on shared macro-econo­
mic objectives. The sharp drop in the num­ The annual duration of working time in
ber of labour disputes illustrates this change. 1998 was 1 660 hours, ranging from 1 425 in
The number of working days lost through the Netherlands to 1940 in Greece.
disputes in the European Union fell from Innovative changes in hours of work and
more than 85 million in 1979 to less than 7 working patterns are now widespread, geared
million in 1996. to achieving not only greater flexibility but
also a restructuring of working life, family
- In spite of the far-reaching structural life and leisure time. Involvement in part-
changes affecting industry and the European time work continues to grow, covering 6% of
economy more generally, and consequently men and over 30% of women in 1998. The
their members, the social partners have question of reducing weekly working hours
adapted and they now have a greater say in is still very topical.
Industrial Relations in Europe ticipation in profits and enterprise results is a step
- The social dialogue at European level is in the right direction, giving rise to new forms of
expanding considerably. More than 100 in-house organisation. 80% of the 500 largest
texts adopted jointly over a 10-year period European companies have already introduced
and six recent agreements provide evidence financial participation schemes. Innovative
of this dynamism. Under the Treaty, the methods are springing up in a number of Member
European social partners now have a greater States and the Commission is keeping a keen eye
say in shaping social policy. Three cross- on the situation.
industry agreements have been incorporated
into directives, thereby becoming compulso- The social partners continue to have the final say
rily applicable.
on wages, although there is a limiting factor in that
the public authorities determine the level of social
security contributions - generally between 30 and
close to 60% of the total labour cost. They may give
Wages guidelines, e.g. by setting minimum wage levels, as
is the case in eight Member States. It is, however,
the social partners' input which, in the final analy­In the 1980s, the European social partners were for­
sis, determines general wage trends. ced to experience wage restraint. Erratic rises in
nominal wages - reaching an average of 14% in the
1970s - were quickly eaten away by inflation. As a In this context, the persistence of gender-related
wage inequalities is all the more unacceptable. In result, the social partners, governments and mone­
spite of a Directive adopted in 1975 (75/117/EC), tary authorities began to favour a concerted strate­
the wage gap between men and women remains at gy. The policy of nominal wage restraint has helped
to get inflation under control (falling below 2%) around 28%, due partly to objective factors such as
couples' sharing of responsibilities (women having and offers the best prospect of an increase in real
more frequent career breaks), and reflecting also wages.
the